Product Information

Publisher's Description

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The Only One in the Room is a serious treatment on the subject of race in America, exploring why the problems persist, and what Christ-followers must do to help our nation heal. Throughout his life, especially while working as a high-profile professional in the Midwest, author Milton Thompson was often the only African American in his circles. A minister and educator, he uses the backdrop of his personal journey to skillfully and knowledgeably assess where weve been as a nation, and where we are now.

The Only One in the Room crosses several literary genres, and offers readers ~

The moving story of a remarkable African American family

Provocative social and political commentary

An intimate look at an enduring love story

Biblical hope and inspiration

Thompson says hes become more reflective about race as hes gotten older. He possesses a seasoned, gracious, and godly perspective, which is just what we need right now.

Author Bio

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Milton Thompson was born in Racine, Wisconsin, to parents who came North during the 1950s as part of the Great Migration of African Americans from the South. He grew up during the Civil Rights movement, and has witnessed the successes and failures in Americas struggle with the issue of race. He holds a masters degree in Educational Administration, and has served as a pastor and school district superintendent. He is married, and the father of four adult children.

Product Reviews

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Author/Artist Review

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Author: Milton ThompsonLocated in: KenoshaSubmitted: August 17, 2016

Tell us a little about yourself. Have been a follower of Jesus since 1974. Professionally, I have been a public school superintendent and charter school executive director. I am the pastor of a multi racial, charismatic church in Racine, Wisconsin.

What was your motivation behind this project? Given a lifetime of experiences about race, I wanted to place the discussion of the topic into the context of a real person's life. Sometimes people forget that these are not issues to discuss, they are issues that people live and struggle with. My constant experience of being one of two or three black school superintendents in a state that has 424 school superintendents was the final motivator to tell my story, in hopes that this circumstance could change. As I was writing the book, it seemed that the racial divide grew and the alienation between people of different races became a weekly topic in the news. I want to be a catalyst to see this changed.

What do you hope folks will gain from this project? An understanding that race is a very complex issue that still impacts our society. I hope that the book can motivate people to wade into an honest discussion of the issue of race. I especially hope that Christians will engage in an honest look into the reason that in many places churches can be referred to the 'white church' or the 'black church' in their cities. This is completely unacceptable and not representative of the kingdom of Heaven.

How were you personally impacted by working on this project? I shed a lot of tears and relived some very unpleasant but impactful memories while recalling experiences throughout my life. Writing this book helped me to come to grips with feelings that have been buried and needed to be excavated and healed.

Who are your influences, sources of inspiration or favorite authors / artists? There are such a variety of influences that inspire me. The scriptures being primary. I find such a freshness in reading the Bible and it is really renewing. As a reader I love historical topics and gravitate toward books of that genre.